Hearts have announced they have arranged another pre-season friendly as Robbie Neilson’s SPL Championship winners prepare for their return to the Premiership.

They will travel across the River Forth to face Raith Rovers at Starks Park on Tuesday 7^th July. Kick-off will be 7.45pm.

Hearts other pre-season friendlies, so far, are at Dumbarton on 9^th July, Stirling Albion on 14^th July and Cowdenbeath on 15^th July.

Meanwhile, former Hearts midfielder Jason Holt is looking for a new club after being released by English side Sheffield United.

Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with a disturbance in Chambers Street, Edinburgh today.

The incident happened outside a University of Edinburgh building where a student occupation is underway.

A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

The Edinburgh Reporter took these photos yesterday evening when passing the building. We estimate there were about 40 people standing on the pavement wearing high vis jackets and who appeared to be security personnel.

Gaspard Noé bounded down the red carpet last night like a child; filled with excitement to deliver his ‘3D sex epic’ as it has been labelled, to its first audience. There was rapturous applause at the credits; standing ovations, tears and a yell of “Ça c’est le cinema putain! (This isn’t whoreish cinema)”. To be fair to the bold lady in hysterics, she’s right. Love may be visceral and enjoy a slight dash of serious smut, but the film isn’t as provocative as everyone had initially thought. Love isn’t crafted entirely from sex; it has an underlying dramatic relationship study that Noé has blatantly put second.

Now living with his girlfriend and their child, a man recounts his sexual encounters during his younger years with a woman that has mysteriously gone missing.

It’s undeniably rhythmic for the first two acts. Ploughing through an admittedly rather flimsy, vague plot structure with enough passion to be rather entertaining. The story veers from trying to be caustic and affecting to having this tongue in cheek, almost admirable sense of humour. At times, Noé is undeniably out to provoke. From his own cameos spattered throughout to an almost comic phallus protruding from the screen, it can be a bold riot to endure; but never really settles itself tonally. It partly manages to salvage its characters thanks to the alluring debut performance of Aomi Muyock, who plays Electra, Murphy’s initial object of affection. The film, which mainly consists of flashbacks to the two’s relationship, makes the most of her deft and often dirty charm.

Cinematographer Benoît Debie’s lurid and unmistakable style lets Love feel like a letterbox into the lives of its characters. The framing, often cutoff by doorways or the character’s own photographic lenses, gives it an intimate, rather than voyeuristic sensibility.

This is one of the reasons that we can differentiate the intention’s of Noé and his fellow cinema provocateur Lars Von Trier’s similarly seedy Nymphomaniac. The latter is proudly perverse and uncomfortable. Here, Noe has created a film in which the explicit use of sex is proudly used to titillate. It may not consistently do that, but there is a twisting, kinetic core to it that makes these naked bodies seem like sculptures rather than simple figures having sex.

Perhaps what is most shocking about his latest work is that, regardless of its plethora of three dimensional private parts and its drug-induced heavy character study, it manages to be almost entirely impenetrable and emotionless. His leading, often lonely trio are rarely given a serious shaking to let their personalities show, and when they do its paired with dialogue so faux-philosophical and dreamy that it just doesn’t take effect.

Noé’s intentions seem to have been directed towards creating a film about an uncompromising depiction of sex and its intrinsic connection to love. To a certain extent, he’s achieved this. Love manages to be aesthetically seductive, but impenetrable underneath.

Love had its world premiere at the 68th Festival de Cannes

Police have released CCTV images of a man they would like to trace in relation to an investigation into a public indecency last year.

The incident happened at around 2pm at a business premises on Comiston Road on Monday 3rd November.

The man is described as being around 25-35 years old, having a tanned complexion, with short dark hair. He is of medium build with a prominent stomach.

At the time of the incident, he was wearing a white tracksuit top with grey on the shoulders and light coloured tracksuit bottoms.

He spoke with an Eastern European accent.

Detective Constable Barry Murphy said: “This was a distressing incident for the people involved and we are asking anyone with information that can help us trace this man to come forward.

“Anyone who recognises the man in the image or may have information about the incident is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous. “

Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs still believes that his team can still progress to the play-off final despite last night’s 2-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox although he concedes that scoring first on Saturday is vital.

Goals either side of half time secured Rangers win in front of over 40,000 supporters and after the game Stubbs told BBC Scotland: “It’s far from over, the tie’s far from over.

“Stating the obvious we’d like to score first if possible on Saturday and then we’ll see what a good game it could be.

“It’ll be an entertaining game, I’m sure it will be. We’ll come out and we’ll look to try and get that first goal if we can, whether that’s in the first 10, 20, 30 minutes, it’s still got the potential to go 120 minutes on Saturday.”

“We had a lot,(of corners) it’s probably the most we’ve had. The reason we’re 2-0 down is we should have done better with their goals.

“We had a few chances where, on another day, you’d like to think that we’d hit the target and make their keeper work.

“I thought we played some decent stuff. In the final third we probably just needed to take our time a bit more, sometimes it was a little bit rushed, one or two things just didn’t fall for us, but overall I can’t fault the way they played.”

Stubbs also hit out after Scott Allan was repeatedly subjected to objects being thrown at him from the Rangers supporters every time he took a corner.

“It could have been dealt with better but that’s not my problem, that’s Rangers. .If he had got hit with a coin, what would happen?

“They’re still throwing stuff on the pitch. But, sometimes you get people who do silly things.”

A pet snake who had been on the loose for almost six months has been reunited with his owners thanks to the Scottish SPCA.

Scotland’s animal welfare charity was contacted by a resident of St. Martins Gate in Haddington, East Lothian, who discovered the black and white king snake in their kitchen on Monday (11 May).

Animal rescue officer Colin Arthur said, “I decided to knock on the other doors in the stair and it turns out the snake belongs to the finder’s neighbours, who live in the flat below.

“Their snake had escaped before Christmas when he was still a hatchling and had been missing ever since.
“His name is Percy and he is now around 12 inches long. His owners were delighted to be reunited with him after all this time. It’s likely Percy managed to survive for months by keeping warm near pipes and feeding on insects.

“This was a very memorable rescue and I’m glad it was such a success story.”

Photo by Scottish SPCA

Police investigating a housebreaking and theft in Woodlands Grove, which happened on Saturday 16th May have detained a 17-year-old in connection with this incident.

Further enquiry was also carried out in relation to a break-in at an address in Durham Road on Sunday 17th May and the male was subsequently charged with both offences.

He is scheduled to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.

Superintendent Alan Porte said: “Every day Operation RAC officers are apprehending acquisitive crime offenders and putting them before the courts, while at the same time returning a variety of stolen goods to their rightful owners.

“Our Community Investigation Units will continue with enforcement activity across the city to bring those responsible for housebreaking and associated crimes to justice.

“A key aspect of Operation RAC, however, is the prevention of acquisitive crime and the public can assist us in our efforts by taking the necessary steps to safeguard their homes, outbuildings and business premises.

“Local policing teams are happy to provide a range of crime prevention advice to the public, who can alternatively visit our website at www.scotland.police.uk.”

01Bookbug Week: to celebrate this annual event – for which this year’s theme is Bookbug’s Big Bedtime Story – there will be a special session today with fun, songs, rhymes and stories for children aged 0-4 years and their parents and carers. 10.30am, Currie Library, 210 Lanark Road.

Friends of Granton Castle Garden: The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts – how do we make the walled garden restoration both sustainable and of benefit to local people? A meeting with guest speakers from the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and the Community Land Advisory Service. Come along, ask questions and join in the discussions. 6-7.30pm, Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, 11 Pilton Drive North.  For more information please contact grantoncastlegardengroup@gmail.com.

Maggie Ritchie: Paris Kiss. Freelance journalist Maggie Ritchie introduces her first novel, the story of English sculptor Jessie Lipscomb and her passionate friendship with Camille Claudel, the 19 year old protege and lover of Auguste Rodin. This fictionalised account of a true story moves between the young women’s heady youth in 1880s Paris, where they share a studio and explore the demi-monde, meeting artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Rosa Bonheur, and Jessie’s visit to Camille years later, after her family have had her committed to an asylum. ‘An intense and satisfying story. It will haunt you’ (Sara Sheridan). 2.30-3.30pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained via eventbrite here.

Lunchtime Concert: North Dakota State University, USA.  12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

LGBT Learning Difficulties Social Circle: a monthly group for LGBT people who also identify as having a learning difficulty or disability. The theme for this session is Friendship. 2-4pm, Lifecare Centre, 2 Cheyne Street. If you are interested in joining the group please contact George Burrows on 0131 652 3281 or at george@lgbthealth.org.uk.

John Knox in Edinburgh: Walking Tour. Storyteller and author Donald Smith leads you through the dramatic story of John Knox in Edinburgh. Beginning at the Edinburgh International Festival Hub (top of Royal Mile), the tour will take in places of interest in the Old Town en route to John Knox House, entry to which is included in the ticket price. 4.30pm, The Hub, Castle Hill. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be obtained online here or buy calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579. The tour is part of the General Assembly of Scotland 2015’s celebration of John Knox.

Spark Greyfriars Lunchtime Concerts: Henry Wallace (organist, Greyfriars) plays Music for Ascension and Pentecost. 12 noon-12.45pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free: all welcome.

Easel Sketching in the Gallery – May: led by artist Damian Callan. A different subject every month, sometimes with a model. All materials supplied. 2-4pm, Gallery main floor, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free: no booking required. Also at same times on Friday 22nd May.

Reid School of Music Final Year BMus Student Recitals. Today: 3pm Emma Aitken (soprano), 4pm Amanda MacLeod (mezzo-soprano), 5.30pm Timothy Matson (baritone) and 6.30pm Henry Pemberton (tenor), all at Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. All recitals are free and open to the public.

LGBT: Relaxation Yoga Skills. A six week course with yoga instructor Helen Gailliard, who will gently help participants practice simple yoga moves and breathing techniques that can help reduce stress. Ideal for people who may not have practised yoga before or who are looking for a slower paced form of yoga with a focus on relaxation. Yoga mats provided. 6.30-8.30pm; please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or at alison@lgbthealth.org.uk for details and to book (booking essential). Suggested donation £1 per session.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Ronnie Browne: That Guy Fae The Corries – an informal signing. With his musical partner Roy Williamson, Ronnie Browne became a national and international figure as one half of The Corries. His autobiography describes his childhood in wartime and the austerity Britain of the 1950s and 60s, his musical career, Roy’s death and his ensuing years as a solo artist. Throughout his career Ronnie has also been an active and sought-after painter and portraitist. 12.30-2.30pm,  Blackwell’s, South Bridge. No booking required.

Pascale Petit and Niall Campbell Poetry Reading. Pascale’s sixth collection Fauverie was shortlisted for the 2014 TS Eliot Prize; she tutors courses at Tate Modern and for The Poetry School. Niaill Campbell, originally from South Uist, won the Edwin Morgan Prize in 2014; his first collection Moontide won the Saltire Society Scottish First Book of the Year Award and is a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. 6.30-8pm, The Saltire Society, 9 Fountain Close, 22 High Street. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be purchased via eventbrite here.

Humpty Dumpty and the Troll Factory: Varieties of Verbal Subversion on the Russian Internet. Associate Editor of Russian Review and Russian Language Journal, Professor Michael Gorham (University of Florida) researches internet regulations and the attempts of Russian authorities to bring the internet under state control. His presentation at this open seminar will focus on information battles between various participants, such as pro-governmental and opposition hackers, trolls and cyber-activists, and the languages and discourses of these battles. 5.10pm, Dashkova Russian Centre, 14 Buccleuch Place.

Worcester State University Chorale: a Scottish tour by this a cappella vocal group of Worcester State students and alumni, founded and directed by Dr Christine Nigro. 8pm, Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate. Free.

Picturehouse Documentaries: We Are Many + Satellite Q & A. On 15th February 2003 over 15 million people marched through the streets of 800 cities around the world to try to avert the war in Iraq. Director Amir Amirani’s fearless, thought-provoking documentary reveals the remarkable inside story behind the biggest protest in history and chronicles its surprising social and political legacy. Contributors include Danny Glover, Richard Branson, Mark Rylance, Ken Loach and Professor Noam Chomsky. The screening will be followed by a live satellite Q & A and panel discussion hosted by Jon Snow with guests including Amir Amirani, producer and comedian Omid Djalali, convenor of the Stop the War Coalition Lindsey German and Professor of International Law at UCL Philippe Sands. 8pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.

Let’s Glow: Pipe Dream. Edinburgh College HND Year 2 students from both the Popular and Classical courses present this comedy musical, following a Glaswegian lad chasing his dream of playing Scotland’s most traditional yet controversial instrument. 7-8.30pm, The Music Box, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh College, Bankhead Avenue. Tickets cost £7/£5 and are available from The Music Box reception or by emailing tickets.pipedream@gmail.com.

Nothing Ever Happens Here: Honeyblood + Jesus H Foxx. ‘Despite Honeyblood’s minimal set-up, their songs are fully formed and perfectly assured’. Support, Edinburgh band Jesus H Foxx, ‘well-orchestrated slacker pop’. For over-18s only. 8pm, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and are available online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 560 1581.

Knockengorroch World Ceilidh: here’s your first chance to get away this weekend! Knockengorroch brings first class World Music acts to a beautiful and undiscovered upland corner of Scotland, with the express aim of ‘establishing progressive linkage between the celebration of this natural amphitheatre and the now far-flung Celtic diaspora, once rooted in such homely places’. Music from all continents is booked alongside the best in Scottish and European talent to showcase Celtic and World Music in both traditional and contemporary fields. This year’s acts include Young Fathers, Bella Hardy and the Big Band, Shooglenifty, Peatbog Faeries and the intriguingly-named Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5, and there will also be lots of activities and entertainments for children. Knockengorroch, Carsphairn, Castle Douglas DJ7 3TJ. Tickets may be booked online here or purchased from Ripping Records, 91 South Bridge (Edinburgh): prices vary. Bus transport to/from Edinburgh/Glasgow can also be booked via the festival’s website. Knockengarroch World Ceilidh continues until Sunday 24th May 2015.

National Waiters Day

Possible rail strike

Help to deliver Sals Shoes 00

Royal Highland Show 

Bikepacking at the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling

The team at an Edinburgh hotel will be taking its marks to compete in a special charity Tray Race to mark National Waiters Day later today.

Front-of-house employees at DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre will compete against each other in a local Tray Race as the main official Waiters Day race takes place in London.

And they’re encouraging other local hospitality businesses to sign up and compete, or to come along and watch on the day.

Donations will also be collected throughout the day, which will go to Macmillan Cancer Support, the chosen charity of the hotel’s operator, Redefine|BDL Hotels – the UK’s largest independent hotel management company.

Participants will race through the capital’s Grassmarket area carrying their trays, and distributing cookies to passers-by as they go.

Ronald Little, General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre said: “Our front-of-house teams are the reason the hotel performs so well, and it’s down to them that our guests are so well looked after. National Waiters Day is a great way to recognise the work that they do – and the Tray Race is a brilliant opportunity for the teams to bond whilst raising money for charity.

“Around ten employees from the hotel will race on the day – including me – and we’d be delighted to be joined by other local hospitality and tourism teams.”

DoubleTree by Hilton’s Tray Race will kick off at 4pm – just as the main race gets under way in Hyde Park.

***

There is a possible rail strike on Monday and Tuesday which will affect you if that is your mode of transport north south east or west. You are advised to get yourselves organised now with alternative arrangements.

Scotrail say: “We are finalising which services we will be able to run on the days of the industrial action and will be publishing these on http://www.scotrail.co.uk.

The time to take action is now. Please visit our website daily between now and the strike to make sure you have the latest information. Also, get registered with our free JourneyCheck alert service and download our app. ”

Of course there may be some way of resolving the dispute before then and if so then they will put that on their site too.

***

Here is an Edinburgh charitable initiative that just needs your help to deliver what they have collected to the right place. They only need £200 to make this happen.

“Sals shoes is an organisation that sends shoes around the world to kids who don’t have any , shoes save lives by reducing risk of injury and infection to the children’s feet.
The people of Edinburgh got involved and have collected around 500 pairs of shoes, we have raised some money to send the shoes on the first part of there journey but not quite enough.
We need to raise funds to get the lovely shoes on there journey to those in needs and also to allow us to make this an ongoing venture between the people of
Edinburgh and Sals shoes. So please if you are able to donate something it would be much appreciated.”

You can donate a little or a lot here.

***

Organisers of Scotland’s iconic annual event, The Royal Highland Show, have announced the introduction of ‘Scotland’s Larder Live!’ a food extravaganza bringing Scotland’s larder to the fore.

Showcasing a diverse range of quality, Scottish produce (and some exciting tastes and flavours from other parts of the world), Scotland’s Larder Live! will be a dynamic, experiential food show, promoting and celebrating our food provenance, regionality and seasonality.

Featuring over 120 producers and showcasing the very best of Scottish produce, the event will ambitiously reposition and refresh the Food Hall by building interactivity and visitor engagement and bring to life the main consumer message of ‘farming equals food’. It will be a lively, stimulating, informative and interactive area full of smells, sights and samples.

The Royal Highland Show takes place from 18^th – 21^st June with RBS, a partner since 1981.

www.royalhighlandshow.org.uk

***

At the heart of this year’s bikepacking events is the Capital Trail, the newest addition to the UK bikepacking event calendar. On Saturday 13 June 100 mountain bikers will set off on Portobello Beach to tackle a 150-mile-course through East Lothian, the Lammermuir Hills, the Borders and the Pentlands. The route, which includes more than 6000m of ascent, is designed for expert mountain bikers, with a top-class field of riders already confirmed for the inaugural ride, amongst them Team Scotland 2014 member Lee Craigie and UK singlespeed legend Charlie ‘The Bikemonger’ Hobbs. The Capital Trail is supported by Ordnance Survey, who provide all riders with a free mapping solution in preparation for the ride. There are a few places left for riders who would like to challenge themselves, which can be booked directly at www.capitaltrail.eventbrite.co.uk for a small fee of £15.

The route was devised by Edinburgh local Markus Stitz, who has years of experience in long distance cycling and has recently turned his focus on bikepacking. ‘The idea of the Capital Trail, and bikepacking in general, is to combine all the amazing mountain biking locations we have readily available on our doorstep in the city into one challenging ride with an overnight stop, that will hopefully attract more mountain bikers to Edinburgh in the long term. I have ridden trails all over the world, what Edinburgh and the South of Scotland have to offer is worth shouting about. Having spent the last three months exploring trails and talking to local riders, I am confident to say that the Capital Trail is amongst the most scenic bikepacking routes on offer.’

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Rangers go into Saturday’s play-off second leg with a huge advantage after beating Hibs 2-0 at Ibrox earlier tonight.

Hibs dominated possession and won a string of corners but it was Rangers who grabbed the decisive goals either side of half time.

Head Coach Alan Stubbs made two changes to the starting XI that beat Falkirk 18 days ago, with David Gray replacing the injured Fraser Forster and Fraser Fyvie taking over from Martin Boyle.

Since then, the Hibs players have had a week’s training session in Spain whilst Rangers have had two tough games at Palmerston and Ibrox.

Rangers manager Stuart McCall named the same team that progressed to the semi-final with a 1-1 draw against Queen of the South last weekend.

The reduced price policy paid dividends and the game kicked off in front of a large and noisy Ibrox Park.

Hibs started brightly and Liam Craig (pictured) went close with an early shot then sent another just over the bar.

Midway through the first half Scott Allan set up Dominique Malonga but his cross was scrambled clear. Allan then found Malonga again and he sent a dangerous cross to the back post which was just missed by Jason Cummings.

Rangers then had two free kicks from dangerous positions before Hibs won four successive corners.

Just before half time, Rangers grabbed the lead when on loan midfielder Haris Vuckic collected the ball in midfield and found Fraser Foster with an inch perfect pass. The full back then did well to cut the ball back into the path of Nicky Clark who side footed the ball into the net.

Vuckic brought out a good save from Oxley just after the restart then Malonga should have equalised when he had a free header in the box from Allan’s corner but he mistimed his effort and the ball flew over the bar.

Allan was forced to complain about being bombarded by plastic display cards every time he took a corner.

In the 63rd minute, Rangers added a second when ex Hibs striker Kenny Miller was first to react to a loose ball in the penalty box and slotted the ball into the net sparking wild scenes from the home support.

Dylan McGeouch immediately replaced Scott Robertson as Rangers pressed forward looking to put the tie beyond Hibs.

Lewis Stevenson then did well to set up Cummings but the teenagers strike from 15 yards flew well over the bar.

Malonga and Cummings tried to take advantage of a mix up in the Rangers’ defence with time running out then Hibs had a penalty claim when Cummings was bundled over inside the area but the referee waved play on.

In time added on Oxley produced a great save from Foster to keep the score at 2-0 leaving Hibs with a mountain to climb if they want to play in the top division next season.

Rangers: Bell, Foster, Zaliukas, McGregor, Wallace, Shiels, Law, Vuckic, Murdoch, Miller, Clark. Subs: Robinson, McCulloch, Smith, Black, Walsh, Ferguson, Boyd.

Hibs: Oxley, Gray, Hanlon, Fontaine, Stevenson, Rovertson, Allan, Craig, Fyvie, Malonga, Cummings. Subs: Cerny, El Alagui, Stanton, Handling, McGeough, Djedje, Dunsmore.

Attendance 41,236

Photo by John Preece

Scottish Water have told us everything is now fixed at Bruntsfield:

Following disruption to water supplies in the Bruntsfield area, repairs have now been completed and the water main is re-charging.

Customers affected by disruption should be starting to see their normal water supply restored.

Scottish Water worked during the night to restore supplies following damage to a fire hydrant at Holy Corner yesterday evening. A backfeed was put in place to provide customers with an alternative supply, and a squad completed this repair overnight.

Unfortunately when the water main was then re-opened a valve broke earlier this morning, requiring a further repair. As a result some customers experienced further disruption, and bottled water was made available while repairs were completed.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and are grateful to customers for their patience.

Two men have been arrested and charged with a series of break-ins and thefts of motor vehicles in Edinburgh and Midlothian.

On Monday 18th May, police responded to Mansefield Road, Mayfield, where a Nissan Qashqai had collided with a wall.

Enquiries established it had been stolen during a housebreaking in Edinburgh on 23rd April.

The following day officers from Operation Greenbay detained two 22-year-old males after recovering a Mercedes C Class car in the Mayfield area, which was also stolen from a housebreaking Edinburgh.

Investigations also led to the recovery of a Lexus car in Blackcot Road, Mayfield that had been stolen during a housebreaking at an address in Musselburgh and a Skoda Fabia car that had been stolen from an address in Pathhead.

In addition, officers recovered other items of property that has since been identified as stolen.

Both men were subsequently charged and will appear in court today.

Chief Inspector Kenny Simpson, Local Area Commander for Midlothian said: “To tackle the number of vehicle thefts linked to housebreakings within the Lothians and Scottish Borders area, we launched Operation Greenbay and officers continue to remove those responsible for crimes of this nature from our communities.

“As a result of this latest activity, high-value vehicles and various other items of property have been recovered and will be returned to their rightful owners.

“Police Scotland will continue to tackle acquisitive crime as a priority and officers across the country regularly work alongside colleagues from neighbouring divisions to investigate housebreakings and thefts, which cross boundaries, to ensure offenders are brought to justice.”

A teenager has been arrested and charged with two housebreakings in Edinburgh earlier this month.

Between 9pm and 10pm on Thursday 14th May, The Edinburgh Research and Innovation premises in Roxburgh Street was broken into and various items were stolen from inside.

A short time later, a flat in Nicolson Street was also entered and a number of the occupant’s personal belongings were taken.

On Tuesday 19th May, Operation RAC officers executed a stolen property warrant at an address in Tron Square and subsequently detained a 16-year-old male.

He was then charged with both offences.

Superintendent Alan Porte said: “We continue to target all acquisitive crime offenders, whether they are responsible for one break-in or several.

“Operation RAC has so far resulted in over 100 people being charged with more than 250 crimes, but we will not become complacent.

“All reports of housebreaking and associated criminal activity are thoroughly investigated and anyone found to be responsible for crimes of this nature will be robustly dealt with.”

Following the spectacular scenes at Holy Corner yesterday evening when a water hydrant burst,  Scottish Water have told us what is happening there this morning.

Bottled water is being made available to customers affected by disruption to normal supplies in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh.

Scottish Water has been working to restore supplies to following damage to a fire hydrant at Holy Corner yesterday evening. A backfeed was put in place to provide customers with an alternative supply, and a squad completed the repair overnight.

Unfortunately when the water main was then re-opened a valve broke, requiring a further repair. As a result some customers are still experiencing disruption to supply. We are working to restore supplies as quickly as possible and in the meantime bottled water can be collected from the Admiralty Terrace entrance to Boroughmuir High School.

Scottish Opera has just announced details of its new season, when it promises drama, romance, fairy-tale and comedy in its seven powerful operas.

A talented cast and creatives from recent years will return alongside some exciting new faces. Spanning four centuries in four languages, the season features ten shows, two world premieres, six new productions and 111 performances in 46 venues across 41 towns over the next 12 months.

A season of seven operas begins in October with Bizet’s immensely popular and colourful Carmen. Director Benjamin Davis revives Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser’s much-loved 1999 production, bringing the heat and intensity of this famous Seville love triangle to Autumn audiences. And starting 2016 in a thrilling, chilling fashion is the world premiere of The Devil Inside, co-commissioned and co-produced by Scottish Opera with Music Theatre Wales. Louise Welsh (novelist) and Stuart MacRae (composer) continue their creative partnership with an opera based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story The Bottle Imp.

The pair first joined forces in Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland before gaining recognition with their South Bank Sky Arts Award-winning Ghost Patrol in 2012. The team behind Ghost Patrol – director Matthew Richardson, designer Samal Blak and conductor Michael Rafferty – unites once again to bring this story to life.

Director-designer duo Harry Fehr and Yannis Thavoris return to Scottish Opera following the 2011 success of Handel’s Orlando to direct a new production of Ariodante in February. Director Antony McDonald brings a fantastic fairy-tale to life in the Spring with Dvorak’s ethereal Rusalka, the first production to be conducted by Stuart Stratford as Scottish Opera’s newly appointed Music Director.

May is for Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, a new co-production with D’Oyly Carte Opera Company directed by Martin Lloyd Evans (The Pirates of Penzance 2013 and Il trovatore 2015). In August 2015, Scottish Opera returns to the Edinburgh International Festival with a witty, fun-filled Sunday afternoon concert performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore.

Scottish Opera’s General Director Alex Reedijk said:

‘I am very pleased to be launching this season alongside two wonderful musicians: Sir Thomas Allen, our Music Advisor, who has helped the company shape the Season: and Stuart Stratford, who has been appointed as our new Music Director.

‘We bring you a characteristically ‘balanced basket’ of opera – a vibrant mix of dramatic, passionate and humorous stories – and we have chosen some fantastic singers and creatives to help us tell them. This season features some exciting new faces, plus many with whom we have built a rapport in recent years and who are pleased to return to the warm welcome of Scottish audiences. Touring continues to be integral to what we do and we  restate our passion for it this season with two fabulous tours taking opera to 37 smaller venues in Scotland plus our unique ‘Pop-Up Opera’ trailer which will tour to summer festivals.’

Carmen allows Justina Gringyte – winner of ‘Best Young Singer’ at the International Opera Awards 2015 and former  Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artist 2011-2013 – and rising star, New York-based tenor Noah Stewart make their debuts with the Company, while baritone Roland Wood makes a return (Werther 2013 and  Il trovatore 2015). Australian mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup (Così fan tutte 2009 and Orfeo ed Euridice 2015) sings Ariodante; Sarah Tynan, recently named Best Female in an Opera Production at the Wales Theatre Awards, makes her debut with the Company when she sings the role of Ginevra.

In April, Anne–Sophie Duprels – praised for her Madama Butterfly 2014 – is Rusalka, and tenor Peter Wedd (Ines de Castroand Jenůfa 2015) is The Prince. Several of the cast from The Pirates of Penzance (2013) return for The Mikado,  including Richard Suart, Nicholas Sharratt, Rebecca Bottone and former Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Sioned Gwen Davies. Baritone Stephen Richardson sings The Mikado, with Andrew Shore as Pooh-Bah. A strong ensemble cast star in The Devil Inside, including mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly, tenor Nicholas Sharratt (Ghost Patrol 2012 and The Pirates of Penzance 2013), baritone Steven Page (The Rake’s Progress 2011 and The Pirates of Penzance 2013) and Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Ben McAteer.

Conductors in the pit and on the concert stage include Derek Clark, Richard Egarr, Nicholas Kraemar, David Parry, Michael Rafferty, David Steadmanand Stuart Stratford.  Stuart Stratford will also programme the popular orchestral concert series, which, having outgrown its current St. Andrews in the Square venue, now relocates to the Theatre Royal making use of a purpose-built ‘acoustic shell’. The programme for the three-concert series will be announced in September.

As always, the Company will tour extensively as part of Scottish Opera’s commitment to bringing top-quality opera to communities across the length and breadth of Scotland. Throughout the Autumn, while Carmen plays for audiences in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte will roam to 19 smaller venues in the far flung corners of Scotland.

Directed by Lissa Lorenzo, the piano-accompanied production will transport audiences to 1950s Italy in a stylish and romantic retelling of one of Mozart’s best-loved operas. Showcasing some of the best young singers around, this production features Emma Kerr and Jennifer France, both Scottish Opera Emerging Artists. In its 22nd year of touring, Opera Highlights will visit a further 18 even smaller or remoter venues across Scotland.

Scottish Opera continues to introduce new audiences to opera and take opera out of the theatre with free performances of Opera Unwrapped, Pre-Show talks and the Pop-Up Opera Roadshow, as the Company packs up its theatre on wheels and takes three pop-up operas out on the road, offering people a fantastic introduction to opera.

Following last month’s announcement of the appointment of the Company’s Music Director Stuart Stratford, the appointment of Oliver Rundell, who returns to Scottish Opera to take up the role of Chorusmaster, completes the recruitment of the Music Department.

As the longest established education and outreach department of any of Europe’s opera houses, the Company’s education and outreach activities continue to thrive. This season’s projects and performances include:

• KidO: After the critically acclaimed Spring tour, the interactive show commissioned for 3-4 year olds builds on the successes of BabyO and SensoryO and proves that you are never too young for opera. The show will tour to a wider range of small venues across Scotland.
• The Cabinet of Dr Caligari: Scottish Opera’s Connect Company, made up of young singers and players aged between 14-21, will perform a specially commissioned world premiere at The Arches.

• Other ongoing activity such as the ever-popular Primary Schools Tour which reaches 10,000 schoolchildren each year and Opera Unwrapped for children.

The Scottish Opera Emerging Artists programme, which nurtures young operatic talent through a period of full-time work with the Company, goes from strength to strength as the Company plays a crucial role in developing and nurturing the opera ecology in Scotland and further afield. Emma Kerr, Jennifer France and Ben McAteer, three new Emerging Artists singers will perform in several operas this season. Rodrigo de Vera, Repetiteur, Sally Donegan, Costume Trainee, Lliam Paterson, Composer in residence and Jack Furness, Director also feature in the season, alongside many returning recent alumni including Rosalind Coad, Sioned Gwen Davies, Nadine Livingston, Andrew McTaggart and Lissa Lorenzo.

In a continuation of Scottish Opera’s popular ‘£10 tix if you’re under 26’ scheme, which has seen over  24,000 young people attend a Scottish Opera performance since it started in 2007, tickets for any seat at any performance of Carmen, Ariodante, Rusalka, The Mikado and The Devil Inside  will be priced at £10 for those under the age of 26.

Photos James Glossop

Annabelle Ewing MSP, the Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment, will visit Sylvesters restaurant today to meet up with the owner and with sous chef Duncan Shaw who has  recently completed his apprenticeship there.

The visit will mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week and she will meet with owner and head chef, Kieran Sylvester and sous chef, Duncan Shaw, to discuss the success of Duncan’s recent apprenticeship with the restaurant.

Duncan, winner of ‘Level 2 Apprentice of the Year 2014’, recently completed his apprenticeship at Sylvesters in a record eight months, which was a first for the scheme. Scottish Apprenticeship Week aims to showcase the positive impact modern apprentices have on business and industry, and the value they bring to employers and to their own job prospects.

Sylvesters, located on West Nicolson Street, is a family-run restaurant, led by owner and head chef, Kieran Sylvester. Kieran says: “We are delighted to welcome the Minister to Sylvester’s, especially as we are the only restaurant in Edinburgh that she is visiting during Scottish Apprenticeship Week. At Sylvesters, we pride ourselves on encouraging and developing young chefs by giving them the training and support they need to start their career.”

Duncan, said: “I can’t thank Sylvesters and Skills Development Scotland enough for giving me this opportunity to develop my skills in the kitchen and grow as a chef. By showing the Minister the progress I have made, she will see first-hand how beneficial apprenticeships are, especially in this industry.”

Annabelle Ewing said: “Visiting Sylvesters and meeting Duncan has demonstrated perfectly how well the Modern Apprenticeship scheme works for both young people and employers.

“This is about supporting young people into careers, giving them choices and enabling them to develop skills and training in a range of areas while also getting paid. By offering young people better opportunities in the workplace, we are helping to create a more dynamic and experienced workforce which is essential for Scotland’s industries to thrive.”

• Scottish Apprenticeship Week takes place from Monday 18 to Friday 22 May 2015.
• The Twitter hashtag for Scottish Apprenticeship is #ScotMAWeek15
• For more information on Skills Development Scotland visit http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

Submitted by Stacey Dent

Cyrenians, the charity which is committed to supporting those excluded from family, home, work or community, has been awarded living wage status.

The charity has 110 staff who deliver services in 7 local authority areas as well as providing training across the country through their Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution. Cyrenians were able to finally achieve Living Wage status by moving a Community Job Scotland trainee and a Youth Employment Scotland trainee into employment directly with Cyrenians.

CEO Ewan Aitken said: “We are delighted to have achieved Living Wage accreditation and to put our shoulder to this vital anti-poverty campaign. As part of our employability work, we have helped over 500 people into jobs this year so we know the difficulties that low wage economy causes. This achievement is a sign of our commitment to live out what we want our many partner employers to do also.”

He went on to say: “We know that austerity politics is going to bite even harder and those in poverty will continue to get the blame. The Living Wage is one way of helping people out of poverty whilst challenging the many myths perpetrated by those who want to deny the reality that poverty is a symptom of a broken system and not a lifestyle choice as some would have us believe.”

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually, currently set at £7.85 per hour. It is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. Living Wage accreditation enables employers to be recognised for paying their staff a fair, decent wage.

Director of the Poverty Alliance, Peter Kelly, congratulated Cyrenians on becoming an accredited Living Wage Employer: “Cyrenians have shown fantastic leadership in becoming a Living Wage Employer.”

He went on to say: “The continual rise of in-work poverty in Scotland is an issue that needs to be addressed as a priority. The response requires cooperation from private, public and third sector employers. The fastest way to tackle in-work poverty is to curtail the acceptance of the minimum wage and put an onus on paying the Living Wage.”

Royal Blind Pub Quiz: the legendary quiz makes its comeback! Pit your wits against Guru Gary; prizes and raffle too! For over-18s only. 6.30pm, Hemma, 73 Holyrood Road (the Tun building opposite Dynamic Earth). £5 per person – you can come on your own or as a team of up to 6 people. Tickets may be purchased online via the Royal Blind’s website here, by calling Frances on 0131 229 1456 or emailing frances.chisholm@royalblind.org (please put ‘Royal Blind Pub Quiz’ in the subject box).

Bookbug Week: to celebrate this annual event – for which this year’s theme is Bookbug’s Big Bedtime Story – there will be more special sessions today, all including fun, songs, rhymes and stories for children aged 0-4 years and their parents and carers. 10.15am and 11.15am, Portobello Library, Rosefield Avenue, 2pm, Piershill Library, Piershill Terrace.

Quintinshill: a film by Finestripe Productions (director Ian Lilley) will be shown at 9pm on BBC Scotland tonight. It tells the story of the 1915 railway disaster near Gretna, in which over 200 men of the Royal Scots 1/7th Battalion (the Leith Battalion) died. A new exhibition about the disaster opens at Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street on 22nd May and a new promenade theatre production will be premiered there that evening (see listings). Quintinshill will be shown again at 9pm on BBC4 on Thursday 21st May.

Lunchtime Concert: Will Pickvance – Piano Speak. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Let’s Glow: Pipe Dream. Edinburgh College HND Year 2 students from both the Popular and Classical courses present this comedy musical, following a Glaswegian lad chasing his dream of playing Scotland’s most traditional yet controversial instrument. 7-8.30pm, The Music Box, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh College, Bankhead Avenue. Tickets cost £7/£5 and are available from The Music Box reception or by emailing tickets.pipedream@gmail.com. Also at same time on Thursday 21st May 2015.

Slavery, Politics and Poetry: historian Alastair Learmont considers the extraordinary life of poet and politician Robert Cunninghame Graham of Gartmore. 12.45-1.15pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

John Knox in Edinburgh: Walking Tour. Storyteller and author Donald Smith leads you through the dramatic story of John Knox in Edinburgh. Beginning at the Edinburgh International Festival Hub (top of Royal Mile), the tour will take in places of interest in the Old Town en route to John Knox House, entry to which is included in the ticket price. 4.30pm, The Hub, Castle Hill. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be obtained online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579. Also at same time on Thursday 21st May 2015. The tour is part of the General Assembly of Scotland 2015’s celebration of John Knox.

Let’s Glow: My Romantic History. Edinburgh College HND 1 Acting and Performing students present DC Jackson’s contemporary Scottish play, set in Glasgow. My Romantic History follows the relationship of Tom and Amy, showing that the first cut is indeed the deepest and that our memories don’t always reflect what actually happened.  2pm or 7pm, PASS Theatre, Granton Campus, Edinburgh College, 350 Granton Road. Tickets cost £10/£7 and are available by emailing ashling.findlay-carroll@edinburghcollege.ac.uk.  Also at same times on Thursday 21st May 2015.

Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council: 7-8pm, Stockbridge Church, Saxe Coburg Street. All members of the community are welcome to attend and participate. The community council may be contacted via Stockbridge Library, Hamilton Place or at stockbridgeandinverleithcc@gmail.com.

Edinburgh Napier University Film Graduate Show: a compilation of short films from final year undergraduate students. This year there is an emphasis on documentary films – from the enthusiasm of bat conservationists to a poetic look at the sea through the eyes of those most in contact with it. Fiction is not left out, however – there are mysterious spirits abroad, and even aliens from another world. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688. A further Napier graduate show will follow on 26th May, with Edinburgh College of Art graduate screenings on 2nd and 15th June and a showcase by Edinburgh College students on 10th June 2015.

National Galleries Visually Impaired Tour and Workshop: ARTISTS ROOMS – Roy Lichtenstein. A free descriptive tour and practical workshop for the visually impaired. 10am-3.30pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Please book your place by calling 0131 624 6560.

Graham Fagen: Scotland and Venice. Graham Fagen, one of the UK’s foremost contemporary artists, will talk about his new exhibition at the 56th Venice Biennale, the most prestigious contemporary art platform in the world. This major new work has been commissioned and curated by the Arbroath-based arts organisation Hospitalfield. Fagen’s work mixes media and crosses continents, combining video, performance, photography and sculpture with text, live music and even plants. 6.30-8pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Art Space Nature: new work from students on this Edinburgh College of Art MA/MFA course. Patriothall Gallery, 1D Patriothall, off Hamilton Place, Stockbridge.

Reid School of Music Final Year BMus Student Recitals. Today: 3.30pm Ashton Brower (soprano/vocals), 5pm Andy Britton with his trio at The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street, 6.30pm Jessica Bennett (saxophone) and 7.30pm Finlay Turnball (percussion), all at Reid Concert Hall (except Andy Britton), University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. All recitals are free and open to the public; recitals continue on Thursday 21st May 2015.

Evenings of Enlightenment: join University of Edinburgh researchers on Wednesday evenings in May and June to celebrate the 2015 International Year of Light. Experts from various disciplines will explore this fascinating area – from historical discoveries to today’s cutting-edge research. Tonight Dr Neil Robertson (School of Chemistry) will talk on Solar Energy in Scotland – A New Dawn? 6.30-7.30pm, Red Lecture Theatre, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets are free and may be booked via eventbrite here.

Graham Greene Spy Stories on Screen: as part of Edinburgh Spy Week, this mini-season presents three fascinating examples of Greene’s politically acute and psychologically probing spy fictions. Today’s concluding film is Our Man in Havana (PG) (1959): Wormold, a vacuum-cleaner salesman in pre-revolution Cuba, agrees to act as an agent for the British Secret Service to fund the expensive habits of his daughter. He makes up a network of agents, sending back sketches of invented military installations based on his own vacuum cleaners – until the plot darkens. This screening will be introduced by Professor Penny Fielding (University of Edinburgh). 6.15pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688. Edinburgh Spy Week is organised by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with Filmhouse, National Library of Scotland and Blackwell’s.

Boda Quiz: topical questions, true or false rounds and great games for teams of four people. No entrance fee – and prizes! 8pm, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk.  Please book by calling 0131 553 5900 or emailing boda@bodabar.com.

Bi & Beyond Edinburgh: a fortnightly social gathering for people who identify as bisexual and non-monosexual. With organised social activities and refreshments provided, whatever your label or lack of label, we welcome you. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Group contact: biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.

Vera Chytilova Film Season: Vera Chytilova, the leading lady of 1960s Czech New Wave, died last year at the age of 85. A rebel, a feminist, a critic of contemporary society and an innovative filmmaker best known for her work Daisies, Chytilova focused on women rebelling against a male-dominated order, while consistently applying her own moral vision. She was banned from filming by the Czech government. Today’s film is Traps/Pasti, pasti, pasticky (18) (in Czech with English subtitles). Described as a ‘feminist black comedy’, Chytilova’s post-communist film continues the confrontational approach of Prefab Story with the subject of a woman who is raped by two men; unfortunately for them she is a veterinary surgeon practised in techniques of castration. Also a political commentary attacking male power, the film shows Chytilova treating capitalist morality with the same enthusiasm previously reserved for ‘socialist’ compromise. The screening will be introduced by Dr David Sorfa (University of Edinburgh), editor-in-chief of the journal Film-Philosophy. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.

Musselburgh Racecourse in brewery tie up

Bookbug Week

Dementia Awareness Day

Queensferry Lifeboat is recruiting

Liz Lochhead

Musselburgh Racecourse has agreed a three year deal with Edinburgh’s only remaining Victorian brewery, The Caledonian Brewery, to become its exclusive supplier of draught lagers and ales.

As part of the agreement, the Edinburgh brewery, which is famous for its Deuchars IPA and is part of the wider HEINEKEN Group, will host a new Caledonian Brewery Race Day on Saturday 12 September which includes a £30,000 feature race.

The meeting will also feature a beer festival, showcasing Caledonian’s other premier ales including Edinburgh Castle 80/- and Flying Scotsman as well its craft lager, Caledonian Three Hop.

The racecourse, which has enjoyed a 20 year relationship with HEINEKEN, will replace current branding around the racecourse track and grounds with new Caledonian Brewery branding.

Musselburgh Racecourse commercial manager, Sarah Montgomery, hailed the sponsorship deal as an ideal partnership in what is VisitScotland’s Year of Food and Drink.

She said: “The Caledonian Brewery is a much respected Edinburgh institution and its reputation for high quality products such as its eponymous 80/- ale is an excellent match with our own focus on providing a premium racing experience at Musselburgh.

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Book bug Week is taking place at libraries across the city this week. Read more here.

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As part of St Bride’s Community Awareness sessions, there will be a Dementia Awareness Day on Tuesday 26 May 2015.

Teresa Straczynski, Dementia Advisor with Alzheimer Scotland, will host an Information Drop In from 11.30am – 1.30pm.

Teresa will be available to offer advice, put people in touch with local sources of support, help people plan for the future and help navigate health and social care.

The Drop In will be followed by a Dementia Awareness Workshop from 2.00pm – 3.00pm.  The Workshop is open to all; staff and members of the public.

All welcome, but, please give advance notice if you wish to attend the workshop.

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Following a burst water main at Holy Corner this evening some people may still be without water supply. If that is you then do let us know!

There were sine fabulous photos on Twitter of a plume of water shooting high above the street there. Chris Highcock first alerted us to the problems…..

@EdinReporter Holy Corner. I don’t think this is supposed to be happening pic.twitter.com/ZGNkAM2l1Z

— Chris Highcock (@chrishighcock) May 19, 2015

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@EdinReporter they’ve taken out a fire hydrant. The valve is broken from what I can pick up. JCB parked over it at the moment — Chris Highcock (@chrishighcock) May 19, 2015

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A wee issue at Holy Corner! Biblical flooding! @BBCScotlandNews pic.twitter.com/O2uNLMuQfD

— Dougie Porteous (@dougiep14) May 19, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsDougie P also captured a little video…

@scottish_water Wee fountain at Holy Corner! #biblicalflood pic.twitter.com/VZeQCwVsc6

— Dougie Porteous (@dougiep14) May 19, 2015

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Neville is certainly having a few problems with water in his flat

@EdinReporter Still a bit damp out there at Holy Corner. Water just about coming out of the taps! pic.twitter.com/uF01W3rIkl

— Neville Lawther (@Neuraldance) May 19, 2015

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A Scottish Water spokesman said: ” We are responding to reports of damage to a hydrant at Holy Corner. We are aware of flooding on the road and are on site working to ‎resolve this matter as quickly as possible. Customers in the area may experience some disruption to their water supply in the meantime.”

A few weeks ago, The Edinburgh Reporter was contacted by Edinburgh University student and member of the GB Under 25 Rifle Team, Seth Dowley.

Seth has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Long Range World Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio, USA this August and thought some coverage might gain the team a modicum of publicity and, possibly, bring the sport to the attention of any potential sponsors. As one of the UK’s ‘minor’ sports – there is no ball involved. At all. – funding can be hard to come by.

The ER caught up with Seth, via e-mail, and this is what he had to say –

Tell us a wee bit about yourself.

I’m 19, about to be 20. I’m a student at the University of Edinburgh studying Economic History and Business Studies. Before coming to Edinburgh I was at school in Cheltenham which is where I started shooting. I have three brothers, one older two younger, the youngest one shoots as well.

Why did you choose shooting as your sport?

Well about seven years ago at school I had to sign up to do a weekly activity for a term. I was doing quite a lot of other sports at the time such as squash and running, both of which I still like to do, but anyway I thought just as something to do once a week for a few weeks I’d give shooting a go. This was just in a .22 indoor range but after a few weeks I went with the school team to try fullbore rifle shooting at Bisley in Surrey, this is shooting with 7.62 rifles outdoors ranging from 300 to 1000 yards. After that I was asked if I wanted to join the school team and I’ve been shooting ever since.

What do you get out of it?

Enjoyment. The shooting itself can be quite challenging at times, trying to work out what the wind is doing or trying to manage the psychological side of it and remain calm and focused at important times. But the shooting is only really one side of it, it’s a very sociable sport and I’ve made great friends from all over the world through it. One of the great things about it which makes it quite unique from most other sports is that it’s very inclusive, able bodied, disabled, men, women, 13 year olds, 90 year olds, everyone competes on a level playing field.

And probably the best thing about it is that you get the opportunity to travel and compete all around the world. I’m very fortunate in that this will be my fifth tour. No two tours are the same and I’m sure the U.S. this summer will be another memorable experience.

What downsides have you come across?

Travelling can be a bit of an issue, there aren’t many places in the country you can shoot fullbore and most of the training and competitions I do are down at the National Shooting Centre in Surrey. It can also be quite expensive at times with the costs of ammunition these days being particularly high.

The only other downside I can think of is that unfortunately shooting can sometimes have a bit of a stigma attached to it. I think this is mainly down to people not understanding what it is exactly that we do and sadly stories of guns in the wrong hands creating a negative image that for some reason people like to associate the unrelated and very safe, sport side of shooting to as well.

What are you hoping to achieve, both in Ohio and long term?

As a team out in Ohio we really only have one goal and that is to win the Under 25 World Championships. Whilst out there though I’ll also be competing in the Individual World Championships with probably around 400 other people. I think, particularly for my age, I’m very fortunate to be going to the World Championships in the first place so I’m not dreaming of that World number 1 spot quite yet, but I’d be very happy with a top 200 finish. In the longer term I’d love to continue to make World Championship teams, unfortunately fullbore shooting isn’t in the Olympics but maybe shooting in the Commonwealth games one day would also be nice.

You mentioned sponsorship in your initial contact. How important is that?

Sponsorship is quite important, especially for tours like this World Championship one that involve quite high costs. We approach and get approached by a number of companies ranging from very small businesses that may just want a small advert or to show their support to FTSE 100 companies that can really make big difference to success of a tour. It can sometimes be difficult to find, however, thankfully for this tour we’re competing in the World’s largest shooting market so are likely to receive a fair amount of media coverage and being a National team, companies should hopefully be quite keen to support us.

There’s been a fair bit of Biathlon on satellite TV recently. You don’t have to slog away for a number of kilometres before shooting, but what difference is there at the target end of the ‘process’ and would you consider giving it a go?

In terms of the target, in biathlon there are 5 small targets 50 meters away whereas with fullbore shooting you just have one target and the size of the target depends on what distance you’re shooting at. Biathletes also shoot both standing and in the prone whereas fullbore is just prone and the rifles we use are bit different, it would be incredibly tiring to carry a fullbore rifle on your back for kilometre after kilometre.

I did think about giving it ago a few years ago because I’m quite a keen skier as well but unfortunately there aren’t that many places to give it a go in the UK and most of our Biathletes come from the armed forces. I’m also not too sure if I’d be any good, although the shooting would probably be quite straightforward, the cross-country skiing requires an unbelievable fitness level. If they ever decide to change cross-country for downhill though, I’m in.

The images were shot at Edinburgh University Shooting Club’s range in the bowels of the University’s Centre for Sports and Exercise on The Pleasance. Reassuringly, it took almost as long to access the range– via reception, a three lock door, another locked door, a safe (combination required, but not revealed!), another safe (two locks – keys on a length of wool) and a final two/three lock door – as it did to conduct the photoshoot.

Denis Villeneuve is fast becoming one of the most exciting Hollywood/indie crossover directors in recent years. Following on from the success of the engrossing abduction drama Prisoners and the lesser success of his Jake Gyllenhaal doppelganger movie Enemy, he presents Sicario – a drug cartel movie that has a bite that’s vicious, but struggles to veer from the cookie cutter mould.

After the uncovering of a murderous drugs cartel on the US/Mexican border, FBI kidnapping specialist Kate Macy is put on the job to bring it down with the assistance of a CIA team with ideas deeply engrained in violent ideals. As she enters the group, she soon has to decide between her professional ability, and her moral conscience.

Back in April, following the Cannes lineup reveal, Canada’s Villeneuve spoke to The Guardian, calling Sicario a “dark, violent poem”. For the most part, he’s right. From the onset, limbs are detached from their respective bodies and there’s very little sign of hope for anyone. The story looks into the life of a woman stuck in between her obligation to protect and her moral stance in a world of seemingly senseless killing. The result is something brooding and scintillating; a well performed drama with a nail-biting amount of tensity; especially in its first half.

Emily Blunt shines in her central role, undoubtedly some of her best work. She echoes a character similar to that of Jessica Chastain’s part in the highly accoladed (and admittedly better) Zero Dark Thirty. She’s a strong willed, fairly non-sexualised female protagonist in a film about all things considered rather ‘unladylike’. She’s one of few actresses to make the transition from chick flicks and period dramas to something with grit between its teeth and do a good job of it. Although we always seem to forget her brave cinematic debut in My Summer of Love.

Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin too deliver some excellent performances here. Del Toro, in all of his great glory plays Alejandro – a brutal, bloodthirsty detective that fights back following his dangerous encounters with the drug cartel. Villeneuve has created complex, rewarding characters but sadly, placed them in a script that becomes a little lazy as it progresses.

There are moments of seriously great stuff. By that, we’re referring to work that rivals the exceedingly stronger Prisoners. The two are obviously different films in terms of plot, but that signature Villeneuve tensity fizzles out sooner than it really should. A mindbogglingly great opening scene soon gives way to a film that you would struggle to differentiate from the cartel-busting films that came before it. Rare moments of quality still do arise (it involves nightvision, gunfights and an underground tunnel), but they’re quickly painted over with something a little bit more predictable.

Saying this, they’re still is a lot to love about Sicario. It is dark and indeed, exceedingly violent – but something’s telling me this isn’t as poetic as Denis Villeneuve would like to believe.

Sicario has its world premiere at the 68th Festival de Cannes on May 19th 2015. It has its UK release on September 18th 2015.

The rain finally came today – albeit just a little drop, but it was great to feel something that wasn’t searing heat on my Scottish skin! The past few days have been rather hectic, hence the lack of updates but a plethora of reviews!

Cannes has managed to maintain its great output of films over the past few days (let’s pretend that The Sea of Trees never happened) and it looks like there’s still more to come as we continue on till the end of the week. Highlights of the past few days were, undoubtedly, the gorgeous return to form for Disney/Pixar with Inside Out – a colourful film with great heart. On the more serious side of things, the big talk of the festival remains Carol, the Todd Haynes directed feature with Oscar-worthy performances from both the divine Cate Blanchett and her understated, underrated co-star, Rooney Mara. Word on the Croisette is that the duo could both be awarded the Best Actress prize at Sunday’s official ceremony. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

Whilst I’ve been wrapped up in the big, competition movies, I took the time to catch two films playing in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category – a selection of work from lesser known filmmakers but deserving their own special prize. The first was a harrowing drama about human sex trafficking in Mexico. Playing here as ‘Las Elegidas’ but known internationally as The Chosen Ones, it was another tough watch. Instead of being visceral with its depiction of the situation, it deals with it in an affecting, inspired manner. The lead, young Nancy Talamantes, is nothing short of sublime; carrying this rather grim film on her shoulders. Despite its subject matter, Las Elegidas managed to be one of the smartest and most thoughtful dramas I have seen thus far.

There was controversy surrounding the return of young Taiwanese director Apichatpong Weerasethakul. His last film in the festival, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, won the prestigious Palme d’Or in the main competition; rendering him one of the biggest names in Asian cinema. His latest feature, Cemetery of Splendour, was relegated to the Un Certain Regard section with much backlash from critics and film writers. The film follows a lonely, middle aged woman tending to a soldier suffering from the mysterious disease known as ‘sleeping sickness’, and how she becomes entangled in a dream like, spiritual world with the man in numerous forms. It’s a slow, meditative piece of film making, often veering slightly too close to the imaginary line of quietness to become static. But there is one thing no one can deny, and that’s the immense talent and imagination that Weerasethakul has. Personally, I’m quite glad Cemetery of Splendour got placed in Un Certain Regard. It gives the film a chance to shine in a year where the competition is brimming with very strong contenders. Definitely one to watch out for!

Elsewhere in the Palais, I ran into a welcome memory of Edinburgh with the filmmakers behind Avaritia, a gorgeous piece playing in the Short Film Corner. Inspired by the economic crash of 2008, director Walid Salhab and his producers Robert Welsh and Roslyn Campbell have spent seven years planning Avaritia, eventually filming it in the winter of last year. The inspired short looks at the relationship between man and money, and how the latter can easily get in the way of what’s important.

I managed to catch a glimpse of the film earlier today in the Palais, and it’s nothing short of spellbinding. Presented in beautiful black and white, it looks as though it came straight from that often overlooked filmic era of the 1920’s. Producer Robert doubles up as the lead star alongside young Scottish talent Sarah Elizabeth Mills. The two actors were put through their paces with long shoots in the cold Scottish winter. The method in which the film is made has made it stand out amongst its competitors at this year’s festival. A beautiful mix of three mediums (live action, animation and stop-motion), its characters glide from the screen as they seemingly skate across busy Edinburgh streets. Avaritia reminded me greatly of a calm, less obscure Sylvain Chomet piece. Impeccably detailed and meticulously shot (the finished film was made up of over 7,000 still images), it shows dedication and passion beyond anything that could be shot on today’s digital, camera phone methods. Salhab’s method of film making is wonderfully romantic.

I had a chat and a coffee with the three crew as we walked down the Croisette; discussing films and the industry. It was great to finally meet people from Scotland in a mobbed city that’s full of unidentifiable chattering voices. I’m incredibly glad that the film is doing well, too!

Why not have a look at the trailer below, it really is fantastic!

[vimeo 120204468 w=500 h=281]

Avaritia (Official Trailer) from walid salhab on Vimeo.

Hibernian Supporters Limited have been invited by the Hibernian Supporters Association to stage a breakfast event at Sunnyside on Saturday morning (10am).

Turnbull’s Tornadoes Pat Stanton, John Brownlie, (pictured)  Tony Higgins and George Stewart will be in attendance to talk about their glorious association with the club and share their favourite Hibs memories  into what happened at Easter Road during the 1970s.

The event kicks off at 10am – in the build-up to Saturday’s Scottish Premiership play-off semi-final second leg match at our home against Rangers.

HSL have been active over the past few weeks and have been engaging with fans individually, in small groups, Branch Meetings and indeed bigger events at the Stadium.

This has seen membership numbers increase steadily and more importantly has helped unite all of our fans around a common purpose – financially supporting our Club and taking an ownership position.

The Supporters Association are right behind HSL and to this end this event is aimed at increasing awareness of HSL and what we the fans are trying to achieve.

Chief Executive Leeann Dempster will be in attendance along with Head of Football Operations George Craig and other Directors.

With the Rio Olympics around the corner, the introduction to Rugby 7s to the competition has set a buzz to the summer with young talent pushing for a place in their national squads, striving for a chance to compete with the world’s best.

The perfect platform for this this talent to shine is during the GB7s International 7s tournament. The first leg is hosted at Meggetland, home of Boroughmuir Rugby later this month.

Britain’s top Rugby 7s Competition featuring Samurai, CoOptimist RFC, Wailers, Forces Exiles, Irish Wolfhounds, Apache, England IPF & Welsh Charitables to name just a few will be competing for early honours in this top class event.

Now the rest of the world has caught on and it’s an Olympic sport, GB7s Tour was created as a way for the best English, Welsh, Scottish & Irish qualified players to test themselves.

In 2015 the tour welcomes the Dublin-based Irish Wolfhounds, who will have their first test at Meggetland on the 30th May.

”Crucially, all of the teams have direct or informal links with the elite sevens of the RFU, WRU & IRU, who see the GB7s as a key route for developing and identifying international standard athletes,” explained Dickie Jeavons-Fellows, the GB7s general manager.

”Competition rules are focused on that aim with player categories split into home nations and overseas home nations players, being those currently eligible under IRB rules to be selected for England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland.”

Sevens is fast, fun and exciting to watch and the GB7s has a “direct comparison to the HSBC World Sevens Series.”

The first leg of the GB7s will be held at Meggetland on the 30th May.

Submitted by Justin Tito

The new Hibernian home kit for the 15/16 season has been unveiled.

Last season’s bottle green jersey proved to be unpopular with the supporters despite that club insisting that it was a tribute to the Famous Five as it replicated the strip worn during the years that they were born and included an embroidered message on the shoulder reading ‘Their memory marches on.’

It also included a large red Marathon Bet logo on the front.

Next season’s kit comes with a return to the famous white sleeves which was fans wanted and the sponsors logo is in white.

It will be available in-store from Friday 19 June

Bookbug Week: to celebrate this annual event – for which this year’s theme is Bookbug’s Big Bedtime Story – there will be lots of special sessions today, all including fun, songs, rhymes and stories for children aged 0-4 years and their parents and carers. 10.30am at Morningside Library, Morningside Road, Leith Library, 28 Ferry Road, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan and Ratho Library, School Wynd; 11am at Wester Hailes Library, Westside Plaza, 11.30am at Morningside Library (second session) and 2.15pm at Colinton Library, Thorburn Road.

Reid School of Music Final Year BMus Student Recitals. Today: 3pm Jessica Hailstone (violin), 4pm Jessica Kelly (piano), 5.30pm Katy Cavanagh (oboe), 6.30pm Svetoslav Todorov (piano) and 8pm Beatrice Langford-Powell (violin), all at Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. All recitals are free and open to the public; recitals continue on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st May 2015.

Bookbug: songs, rhymes and stories for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 10.30am today and every Tuesday (and Friday), Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court. All welcome: free.

John Knox: Professor Jane Dawson will give an illustrated presentation to mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Knox. There will also be psalm-singing in the four part harmonisations first used in Scottish churches after the Reformation, and Professor David Fergusson will offer some brief reflections on the current profile of reformed theology and its enduring value in an ecumenical context. 4pm, General Assembly Hall, The Mound. Free admission.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Jeremy Harmer: The Practice of English Language Teaching. One of the leading authors on the subject of English language teaching, Jeremy will discuss recent developments in the subject, how they are affecting the way that English is now taught, and what this means for the future of the profession, giving examples from his research for the fifth edition of his classic text. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the store’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218 or by emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Rushford Hymns Tour. A group of 37 Americans are travelling through the UK on a ‘Hymns Tour’; tonight one of their guests will be Dr Ian Bradley (University of St Andrews). If you enjoy congregational singing, and especially the singing of classic hymns, come along and join in! 7-9pm, Sanctuary, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free: all welcome.

Graham Greene Spy Stories on Screen: as part of Edinburgh Spy Week, this mini-season presents three fascinating examples of Greene’s politically acute and psychologically probing spy fictions. Today’s film is The Quiet American (PG) (1958): Thomas Fowler is a 50-something world-weary English journalist competing with Aiden Pyle, the young, idealistic ‘quiet American’ (and ?CIA agent) for possession of the most inscrutable secret in book and film, as nations and ideologies vie for Vietnam. Greene’s novel caused outrage in the USA for its critique of CIA involvement in the French War in Vietnam, and Joseph Mankiewicz’s adaptation provoked equal controversy for its revision of the plot to stress American political idealism. This screening will be introduced by Dr Simon Cooke (University of Edinburgh). 8.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688. The next film in this series is Our Man in Havana on Wednesday 20th May. Edinburgh Spy Week is organised by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with Filmhouse, National Library of Scotland and Blackwell’s.

Picturehouse Documentaries:  Lambert and Stamp (15). Aspiring filmmakers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp were studio assistants at Shepperton in the 1960s; inspired by the burgeoning youth culture they hoped to make a truthful and authentic documentary about a rock band – except they didn’t have a rock band. Then they found The Who, a proto-Mod foursome of creative misfits, and persuaded the group to let them become their managers. ‘An expertly crafted and hugely entertaining socio-musical documentary’. 6pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.

Leith Folk Club: Fisher Lassies with support Alasdair Morrison. An a cappella group with a well-established reputation in the Borders, the Fisher Lassies’ songs are drawn mainly from traditional sources, including many with local connections. 7.30pm, Leith Folk Club, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be purchased online here or via the club’s text booking line on 07502 024 852.

Edinburgh All Comers Writers’ Club: local writers get together to share/read their work, get positive feedback and constructive advice. 7.30pm tonight and every Tuesday, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk. All welcome.

Merchiston Community Council: 7pm, Merchiston Tennis and Bowling Club, Polwarth Terrace. All residents welcome.

Common Weal Edinburgh North and Leith: Positive Money. Positive Money is the name of a group who want to work towards solving the debt crisis and reducing poverty, debt and economic chaos. An opportunity to engage in a vibrant and informative discussion on Positive Money and the subject of monetary reform, and to hear perspectives from external commentator Howard Reed from Landman Economics. Before founding his own consultancy Howard was Chief Economist at the Institute for Public Policy Research. Newcomers very welcome! 7.30-9.30pm, Royal Dick Pub, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall.

New Chief Executive at the council

Scottish Apprenticeship Week

Edinburgh Festival of Cycling 

Daisy Moll is running a half marathon!

Lease agreed on Customs House

The City of Edinburgh Council will be asked to ratify the decision, but it looks as though the new Chief Executive has been chosen. Andrew Kerr who began his local authority career in Falkirk District Council has been chosen after a rigorous interview process. Read more here.

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The SNP have welcomed the First Minister’s announcement of £3.8 million funding to boost youth employment.

The investment will fund an extra 500 Modern Apprenticeship places and create more opportunities for young people still at school through industry recognised work-based Foundation Apprenticeships for senior secondary pupils.

The SNP are also marking Scottish Apprenticeship Week by calling on the UK Government to raise the minimum wage for young people and apprentices.

Currently, apprentices are entitled to just £2.73 per hour. Raising the minimum wage for 18 to 20 year olds – and bringing the rate for apprentices into line with this in the process – would see apprentices benefit by £4.13 an hour by 2020.

As outlined in our General Election manifesto, the SNP supports a minimum wage increase for 18 to 20 years olds of over £1.70 by 2020.

SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said:

“The Scottish Government has an excellent track record of supporting apprentices – and this funding boost of £3.8 million is further welcome investment for young learners.

“Work is already underway to deliver 30,000 Modern Apprenticeships a year by 2020. The SNP in government is also expanding entitlement to Educational Maintenance Allowance – scrapped south of the border – to support 57,000 school pupils and college students, making it easier for them continue their education.

“But the UK Government must also play their part in supporting learners. This Scottish Apprenticeship Week, the UK Government have the perfect opportunity to take action to support our young people by committing to raise the minimum wage for apprentices.

“Raising the minimum wage for apprentices would provide those learning their trade with the support they need to succeed.

“With the devolution of powers over the minimum wage we could take immediate action on this issue in Scotland. This is another clear example of the benefits of having these powers in Scotland’s hands.

“As the First Minister has said, we will argue for powers over employment and the minimum wage and welfare to be devolved as a priority because these are the levers we need to grow our economy, get people into work and lift people out of poverty.”

***

Inspired by the case of Eilidh Cairns, who was killed by a lorry as she cycled to work, THE WHITE BIKE uses witness statements, personal recollections of family members and years of cycling experience on the streets of London to create a deeply personal portrait of a life cut short too soon.

Read more here.

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Daisy Moll, aged 12, who is running a half-marathon over a month in memory of her mum, has already smashed her fundraising target with ten days to go until her challenge starts with a 5k race at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival on Saturday 30th May.

The Edinburgh schoolgirl hoped to raise £1000 for Maggie’s Edinburgh, the charity which offers free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer and their family and friends.   In fact, Daisy has already raised more than £1600 for the Centre but she wants to raise more.

Daisy’s mum, Tiny, died in 2010 at the age of 35.  During her treatment for skin cancer, Tiny and her family found vital support at Maggie’s Edinburgh, and Daisy is delighted to be able to give something back to the charity which helped her mum.

Daisy said: “I am amazed and feel really proud that I have already broken my target.  I have done fundraising before, things like bake sales, but then I only raised about £50 so it feels really good to be doing so well.

To donate to Daisy’s half-marathon challenge go to https://www.justgiving.com/Daisy-Moll.

***

The doors of Custom House are one step closer to being opened to the public following negotiation of a lease arrangement between the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT).

A heads of agreement between the council and SHBT to lease the listed Leith building was confirmed last month, but received the official green light to proceed last week at a meeting of the Council’s Finance and Resources Committee.

The decision will allow SHBT to sublet the building on month by month basis, with cultural social enterprise group Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust the preferred tenant. The Council will remain landlord for the building, and will work with SHBT to develop a feasibility study into long-term plans for the building.

It is hoped local residents and businesses will be given a glimpse inside the building during an Open Day celebration later this year.

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From Functions and Funerals to Flourish and Fame

How Number 10 Hotel became the new hidden gem of Glasgow’s South Side.

//steller.co/site/static/js/steller.jsAs a Glaswegian West Ender who now lives in Edinburgh, I will hold my hands up to say that I rarely venture over to Glasgow’s South Side, especially when going for a meal. I was therefore intrigued when a friend recommended a visit to a small function-hotel turned local produce restaurant in Queen’s Drive.

Number 10 Hotel, normally famed for its large function areas alone has transformed its once gastropub menu into a pinnacle for local flavour. Using fresh, seasonal ingredients and making everything in-house, the wonders coming out of the restaurant’s kitchen are setting tongues wagging in Glasgow’s South Side.

The creative forces behind this shift are the hotel’s chefs, brothers John and Gordon Wright. At 29 and 27 respectively it’s hard to believe that these brothers could boast 20 years’ experience between them. Yet with both retaining impressive CVs built working in 5 star restaurants throughout the city, the brothers have brought their penchant for all things local to Number 10’s extensive menu.

“I think that we have both taken the best parts from the restaurants we worked in and applied them to our own menu,” John explained.

“We came here wanting the opportunity to provide something fresh and local and we don’t think that anyone else is providing the same service over on this side of the city.” Gordon injected.

The Reporter cannot fault them on their dedication to fresh flavours, rising early to bake everything from the bread to the biscuits – Gordon jokes that the only thing they cannot make themselves is the eggs and the flour.

So what took these brothers away from their five star kitchens and into Number 10 Hotel?

“I once worked in a kitchen where their supplier for cooked chicken was sent over from Thailand” John explains. “I wanted the opportunity to provide people with quality food in the way I know how to cook it and here at Number 10 Hotel we have been fortunate enough to have creative control”

“We’re lucky as the owner trusts us completely.” Gordon agrees, “And we believe we’re proving that people are interested in good local food, since we’re getting busier and busier.”

Tucked up away opposite the greenery of Queen’s Park, Number 10 Hotel could be a country club a million miles away from the bustling city centre. However, this quiet exterior proves to have its drawbacks.

“We can be easy to miss” John admits, “though we’re seeing that when people discover us they come back again and again.”

“We tend to be fully booked at the weekend.” Gordon emphasises. “But we still feel like more people would be interested in what we’re trying to do if only they knew about it.”

With the commitment and obvious pride in the service they are providing, I have no doubt that these brother’s will go from strength to strength. Number 10 Hotel is worth a visit, even just to sample their Hot Chocolate Fondant, a treat that dare I say it is worth the extra hour in the gym working it off.

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